


Conversation

by Arkanna



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 04:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11410038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkanna/pseuds/Arkanna
Summary: Jack seems to attract some of the strangest attention.





	Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. Only the mountain spirit is mine.

Jack screamed. It was a long drawn out shriek as he plummeted into the darkness. The monks did not look back but hurried on to find the Shen Gong Wu, leaving Jack wherever he was.

He WAS in a cave, but now at the bottom of a deep pit. The monks had already destroyed all of his Jack-bots and his heli-bot—AGAIN!.

Jack groaned as he sat up and was thankful that nothing seemed broken though he did feel the trickle of blood down his forehead and winced when he touched a small gash there. He felt for his flashlight but it was nowhere to be found and starting to panic, tapped his watch. At least it would give off a slight glow. He whimpered as his fingers felt the cracks its face. Jack might have survived the tumble, his watch had not.

As bravely as he could, he felt around the small pit, but the walls were relatively smooth and he could find no way of climbing out and with his bots all destroyed, there would be no help coming for him either. Jack really did not believe the monks would even think to look for him much less care. The way they tended to treat him, one would wonder which side really was evil.

Jack huddled against the wall, his knees drawn up to his chin and whimpered in the absolute darkness.

“Waiting for your dragonlord?” an unfamiliar voice suddenly asked.

Jack sprang from the ground in terror, too frightened even to scream. “Who . . who's there?”

A chuckle sounded, echoing in the darkness, “No one really. Just a . . . spirit.”

“A . . a ghost?” Jack's voice cracked on the squeaked question.

“Yes, but you should not be afraid. I see that you know other spirits.”

“Other?” Jack was confused.

“Yes. Ah, the Little Fox is still bound to your master and . . . the Heylin witch walks the earth once again, I see.”

“How . . . how do you know that?” Jack asked, still terrified but a little less stressed as nothing had happened—yet.

“Your thoughts. So loud I could not ignore them if I tried.”

“Eeewwww! Stay out of my head!” Jack exclaimed.

“I'm not Wuya, I will not invade your body as it seems she was so oft want to do. It is only that your immediate thoughts are so loud I cannot ignore them. I said spirit, you immediately thought of 'tsune and Wuya. I said I could hear your thoughts and you immediately remembered Wuya passing through your body, which I must say, would be most disconcerting even for me.”

“And Chase?”

“Ah, the loudest thought, the one that attracted me here. Not even those,” it snickered, “Xiaolin can think as clearly as you and they are trained for such meditation. You were the far more interesting one. They may have their toys.”

Jack relaxed a little, this spirit sounded like Chase in an odd way. It was . . . comforting.

“So you're not going to . . . eat me . or . something?”

There was outright laughter, “No, I have no desire to eat you or anything else. I am a spirit, curiosity brought me here, nothing more.”

Jack relaxed a bit more but shivered slightly. It was cool and his nerves were frazzled. He might even be suffering from a bit of shock, he thought absently to himself.

“You should sit while you wait. It was a rather long way down and I am surprised you were not injured.”

Something Jack understood and gave a weak laugh, “The monks attack me so often, falling and injuries are just . .” he paused thinking suddenly how unfair it all was, “normal.”

There was silence, an uncomfortably long silence.

“Normal?” the spirit sounded—angry?

“Yeah,” another weak laugh, “every time I try to get one of the Shen Gong Wu, I usually get beaten, sometimes pretty badly.” Jack answered, sliding down the wall to sit comfortably, or as comfortably as he could on the rocks. He fidgeted about until nothing was poking him.

“The _Xiaolin_ BEAT you?” was that indignation in its voice?

“Yeah, but why do you care?”

There was another very long drawn out silence, this one filled with a dark brooding, even blacker than the darkness in the pit.

“It is not an acceptable way for . . . _monks_ to behave,” it answered slowly.

“Doesn't seem to bother them. Dojo doesn't call them out on it and neither does Master Fung. The only one that really seems to be upset by their behavior is Chase . . and . . well . . . you.”

There was more silence and the air suddenly felt heavy as if it was pressing down on Jack. He started to panic again but the feeling abruptly dissipated.

“It would seem the dragonlord worries about the wellbeing of his . . . apprentice.”

“Chase? Well, maybe. He does put me back together after the monks do their best to kill me sometimes. At least I don't have to suture my own injuries anymore, but, wait, how do you know?”

The spirit chuckled, it sounded almost mischievous, “You smell of him, his cats, his fortress.”

“I . . smell? . . . What sort of spirit are you?”

“You smell of his magic and the scent of his warriors, one in particular, as well as his home, pervades your very being. As for me, I am a very _old_ spirit. Time no longer has meaning for me.”

It hadn't exactly answered Jack's question but—so old time had no meaning?

“You're trapped here?”

Another light chuckle, “No, this is my home. I can no longer remember a time when I did not exist in this place . . .” there was a pause followed by what felt like a small tremor and an evil snicker. “It would appear the monks have found the Wu and more than they bargained for. Consider yourself lucky you fell down here with me rather than join in their fight. The mountain does not wish to give up its treasure.”

“The . . . mountain?” Jack squeaked.

“Yes . . . Jack. You should be aware, by now, that there are many types of beings and magic in this world far beyond what most mortals could comprehend. This mountain plays host to one who has been a . . . spirit far longer than even I. I have wondered, from time to time, if it was not the one that formed this mountain eons ago. It has always been its home and this . . . “ there was another rather long pause, a curious and puzzled one. Jack realized he was able to read those pauses almost as if he could see the spirit's face and its expressions. “ . . . Dashi . . . I believe, should have known better than to leave one of his toys here.”

“Toys?” Jack asked realizing he was rather enjoying his conversation. At least whatever this spirit was, it didn't belittle him or make him feel worthless. It was almost like it was humoring him a little—like Chase.

“Yes, silly bits of magic that do odd things. Why anyone would want to make such . . . useless trinkets . . .”

“Hey!” Jack grumbled, “I LIKE the Monkey Staff!”

There was an odd sounding snort, “Yes, YOU would. There are a few that are useful but not for the purpose they were created.”

“What is THAT supposed to mean?” Jack grumbled not believing he was about to argue with a ghost.

“Nothing little o . . .”

 

Chase suddenly appeared in a flash of Heylin magic, foxfire limning his form. He reached down and grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt yanking him to his feet. Just as quickly, they both vanished in a brilliant flash. Jack thought he saw a pair of golden yellow eyes gleaming in the light, but he wasn't sure. Even the foxfire was more than his dark adapted eyes could handle and he was briefly blinded.

“WHAT were you doing in Dragon Mountain?!” Chase all but roared at him the instant they appeared in his throne room. The warlord was looking him over carefully and huffed when all he could find was the small gash on Jack's forehead. A quick burst of magic and it was gone. Chase almost seemed panicked to Jack's eyes.

“There was a Wu . . .”

“Did you find it?”

“No, the monks pushed me into a pit after they destroyed my bots and heli-bot. Even my watch was damaged and I lost my flashlight. I . . . “

“And yet you are not trembling in hysteria from the darkness.”

“No, there was a spirit that kept me company . . .”

“A spirit?” Chase instantly stilled.

“Yeah, it said it was a very old spirit. It liked my company and didn't like the monks so I guess it couldn't be all bad. It seemed nice enough, for a ghost.”

Chase was staring at Jack as if he had grown a second head, “What did this . . . spirit say?”

Jack thought a moment, “It knew you and 'tsune and Wuya and was unhappy with the monks and how they treated me. Um, it said the mountain didn't want to give up its treasure and it was a good thing that I was there with it rather than the monks. Just before you arrived there was a small earthquake and . . .”

“Jack,” Chase said very slowly and carefully not even realizing he had used the boy's proper name, “there are some places even I will not trespass. Do you know _why_ it is called Dragon Mountain?”

He shook his head but a feeling of dread suddenly pooled in his stomach.

“There is only one . . . spirit that dwells there. One being of such immense power no one, not even Bean, would dare waken it or incur its wrath. An ancient spirit of the mountain, an earth dragon so old even time has forgotten its name. There is nothing else there, nothing would DARE live in its shadow much less intrude upon its home. If you spoke with something . . .”

Chase never finished as Jack's eyes rolled up and he fainted dead away.

 


End file.
